Symphonic Orcestra & Concert Orchestra Kirt Mosier, Orchestra Director The LSW Orchestra has already achieved notoriety in the state of Missouri by being invited to perform at the Missouri Music Educators conference in January 2006. The program, "Spain on the Brain" featured a wide variety of music and the full orchestra completed the concert with a rousing original arrangement of a spanish favorite.

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Mens Choir, Womens Chior, Concert Chorale, Chamber Choir, Freshman Womens Choir

Amy Krinke , Director of Choral Activities

Before coming to Lee’s Summit West, Mrs. Krinke served as the Assistant Director of Choirs at Blue Springs High School and at Truman High School. She also taught K-8 general music in Albuquerque, NM. She is the former director of the Young MaisterSingers Children’s Choir, and has prepared the MaisterSingers for numerous annual performances with the Kansas City Symphony.

Over the years, choirs under Mrs. Krinke’s direction have consistently earned superior ratings in performance and sight-singing at State Music Festival and were selected to perform on the Missouri Music Educators Annual Convention in 2008.

Mrs. Krinke holds a Bachelor of Music Ed. degree from Wichita State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1999. Mrs. Krinke is currently serving as the Vice-President for High School Choral Music for the Kansas City Metro MMEA District, and is the All-District Choir and All-State Choir Coordinator. She is an active member of MMEA, MENC, and ACDA and serves as a frequent adjudicator across Missouri.

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Jazz Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Marching Band

Clifton Thurmond, Director of Bands Mr. Thurmond was born in Dallas, TX, but does not claim that state as his own. He was raised a Californian, a suburbanite from the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He spent his summers and weekends at the beach, however, his first time surfing came on his honeymoon in Maui. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1998 and is currently working on a Master of Arts at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Mr. Thurmond is a tuba player, but was wise enough to marry a better one. He and his wife, Angie, live in Lee's Summit with their two children, Emory and Miles. He has worked for the Lee's Summit R-7 School District since 1999. Return to Top of Page

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Shawn Harrel, Assoc. Director of Bands

Mr. Harrel comes to Lee's Summit West with a B.S. in Music Education from Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State) and a Master of Arts in Jazz Studies, with an emphasis in arranging and composition, from the University of North Texas.

While at UNT, Mr. Harrel was a teaching fellow for several professors in the jazz studies department including Dan Haerle and Mike Steinel, two leading authors and educators in jazz. After Dan Haerle's partial retirement in 2002, Mr. Harrel directed The Zebras, a jazz keyboard ensemble formed by Mr. Haerle in 1980. As an arranger, Mr. Harrel writes regularly for high school bands in Missouri and Kansas and was a staff arranger for the Missouri State University Pride Marching Band in addition to being a drum major for four years.

Mr. Harrel teaches jazz band, concert band and music theory at Lee's Summit West High School and Entertainment Media Technology at Summit Technology Academy. He currently lives in Greenwood with his wife, Jamie, and two sons Evan and Aaron.

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The Titan Music Staff

Terrin Pabst, Staff Accompanist

Mrs. Pabst was born in raised in Lebanon, MO and holds a B.S. in Vocal Music Education with piano concentration from the University of Missouri. Following college, Mrs. Pabst taught three years in the Ft. Zumwalt School District and two years in the Independence School District.

Mrs. Pabst married her incredible husband Damon and went into full-time ministry until 2002. Her two wonderful sons, Josiah and Gage, who both attend schools in the LSR7 district, provided inspiration for her next career decision. Mrs. Pabst took the hardest job of all as a stay-at-home mom while also teaching private piano lessons and substitute teaching in the Lee's Summit School District.

Since high school, Mrs. Pabst thought being a school's full-time accompanist would be fun. Because of this, she brings a wealth of enthusiasm to go with her musical knowledge and mothering skills, which are all important skills for her role at Lee's Summit West.

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Elizabeth Wohletz, Color Guard Instructor

I was born in Kansas City, KS, the youngest of 4 children. I was raised in Odessa where my colorguard adventure began in 1999. I was on the Odessa High School Color Guard until 2003 when I graduated and joined the staff to help out. After 10 years being affiliated with the sport, you can say that I'm addicted. My past experiences were fun and exciting choreographing for Maryville High School, Savannah High School, and Directing the Guard at Ray-Pec High School for a couple of years. My most memorable and greatest time ever was when I marched with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps the summer of 2003. Currently I live with my boyfriend, Todd in our house in Buckner, MO. We have 5 animals; 3 cats and 2 dogs. I am currently studing to become a middle school english teacher.

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Zack Albetta & Will Braune, Drumline Instructors

Since coming to Kansas City in 2003, Zack has been active in the area as a drummer, percussionist, composer/arranger, educator and adjudicator. His performance credits to date include Angela Hagenbach, The Kansas City Symphony, The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Stan Kessler, the Boulevard Big Band, The 18th & Vine Big Band, Mark Lowrey, Shay Estes, Megan Birdsall, and his own group, The Ten String Trio (with bassist Jeff Harshbarger and guitarist Danny Embrey). He has also performed and/or recorded with regional, national and international artists such as Bobby Watson, Karrin Allyson, Mary Stallings, Dr. Art Davis, Roberto Magris, David Thorne Scott, Mark Shilansky, Jim Pisano and Ben Markley.

Hailing from Santa Fe, NM, Zack began playing drums and percussion at the age of eight and studied privately with the area’s finest, Jeff Sussmann, for nearly a decade. From 1998-2000, he studied percussion with Scott Ney at the University of New Mexico. In the summer of 1999 Zack was the timpanist for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (Denver, CO) and won the DCI Solo Competition for Timpani.

In 2000, he transferred to Ball State University in Muncie, IN to study percussion with Dr. Erwin Mueller. In 2001, he won the Ball State Orchestra Concerto Competition, performed as marimba soloist with the orchestra, and represented Ball State in a solo percussion recital at Mukogawa University in Osaka, Japan. He graduated from Ball State in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance.  In the fall of 2003, Zack came to Kansas City, Missouri to study percussion with Dr. Jim Snell and jazz with Bobby Watson and Doug Auwarter at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has since completed a Master of Music in classical percussion and a Master of Arts in jazz and studio music Mr. Braune has been with the Lee's Summit R-7 School District since 2007.  By day he is the K-6 general music teacher at Greenwood Elementary School, and by night he is a drumline and percussion instructor at Lee's Summit West.  He did his student teaching in the LSR7 district with Mrs. Rebecca Morales at Woodland Elementary and with some guy named Mr. Clif Thurmond at Lee's Summit West.  In 2008, Mr. Braune gave his elementary students their first opportunity to join a choral ensemble by creating the Greenwood Cat's Choir.  In 2009, he was awarded a PEAK grant to bring new technology into his classroom, and was also named as one of the Start Teachers for "John Jacobson's Music Express Magazine."

Mr. Braune earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at The University of Missouri- Kansas City.  While at UMKC, Mr. Braune had the opportunity to perform with many different orchestral, band, choral, and percussion ensembles.  Mr. Braune has performed as percussionist for the Fountain City Brass Band, Northland Symphony Orchestra, and the Lee's Summit Symphony.  Mr. Braune also spent four summers as percussionist for the renowned Des Moines Metro Opera.

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